David Obadia is one half of the founding duo (alongside Nelson Hassan) of Parisian collective Brooklyn We Go Hard (BWGH).  For David, 'collective' is a preferrable term to 'brand', as BWGH operate as a multifaceted group of indiduals whose output is not limited to clothing alone, but spans from photography to art and print. Conceived through a want to fuse fashion and photography, in its short life to date BWGH has already made a solid impact in both the local and global streetwear markets, thanks to clever yet sincere marketing, a solid vision based on multiculturalism and globalisation, and a direction that includes working with other, more established brands on limited edition collaborative projects - a factor that is becoming more and more important in streetwear, due in no small part to the Internet's effect on the democratisation of fashion and the need to remain exclusive yet relevant. With the recent release of BWGH's second FW12 lookbook, we thought it was a good time to chat to David about his vision and the future of BWGH.

 

Jack Smylie: Hi David, can you start by introducing yourself and the concept behind Brooklyn We Go Hard?

David Obadia: I’m David Obadia, co-founder of BWGH. For me, BWGH is a real multidisciplinary label since we have created a collective of photographers, a biannual magazine and a brand.

 

JS: BWGH has really taken off over the last year as a brand. What has this meant for you personally?

DO: Pride and motivation to go even further.  

 

JS: You've got an eye for collaborating with other like-minded brands. In these times, why are collaborations so important? Especially with  streetwear?

DO: Before beeing important, it’s very stimulating and fulfilling to meet people that we’ve always admired. For me, a collaboration is simply a meeting and the symbiosis of good energies, concerning streetwear or anything else, you learn so much from it.

 

JS: How do you feel these past collaborative projects have progressed BWGH?

DO: When we were doing them, those collaborations were not thought as marketing tools but only as meetings with people that I admired. When you’re only 23, working with Opening Ceremony, Colette or Kitsuné, it’s a dream. When you look back, you clearly understand that the aura of those labels has pushed us beyond. Is it a much different or more difficult process working with another party than it is when it is just you and your team? Not more difficult, you just have to adapt as much as possible to the label with whom you collaborate to propose an optimal product.

 

JS: Can we expect any more joint ventures this year?

DO: Certainly but I can’t tell you more about it for now.

 

JS: Back in July, you launched the inaugural issue of BWGH Magazine - the first print publication from the collective. What were the motives behind this? Is print an area you've always intended to explore?

DO: Culture is and always will be at the centre of the BWGH project. Making cloths yes, but not only. The aim has always been to produce an editorial content that corresponds to us.

 

JS: One of the underlying themes for that issue was global travel. How does travel inspire you?

 

 

 

DO: The name of the brand, itself, evokes travelling. I pay a lot of attention to cultures and the energy that each meeting can create in every part of the world.

 

JS: You've also got a kind of preoccupation with multiculturalism. It's in your name (BWGH), I suppose, but also in the way you present collections and designs. Your FW12 campaign, for example, was inspired and named after the birthplace of the mosaic - Ourouk. Is this a personal fascination? Or is it more the nature of BWGH as a collective?

DO: It’s BWGH’s nature : multicultural and multidisciplinary.  

 

JS: On a day-to-day basis, where do you find inspiration for your work/design practice?

DO: People surrounding us and the energy they spread.

 

JS: Before founding BWGH, what were you doing? Have you come from a design/fashion background?

DO: I’ve always had a passion for fashion and got raised in it. I’ve decided to focus on a marketing formation to develope maximum the creative process of the brand.  

 

JS: What can we expect from BWGH in the future?

DO: Only good things, no?

 

JS: And what about from yourself? Any personal projects aside from the label?

DO: Travelling, meeting interesting people and launching a label alone possibly in the future. 

 

Jack Smylie

Photographer - Clément Pascal